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Masters degree with Distinction from Imperial College London, first degree in Chemistry from University of Central Lancashire.

Plastics in general are not considered biodegradable due to their molecular stability. Plastics do not easily break down into simpler components.

A plastic bag will break down into smaller pieces of plastic, but that is not the same as biodegrading.

Some estimates are 500 years to degrade, some more conservative are 1000 years. The bags will photodegrade, but that will take a long time, hence the 500-1000 year estimate. The problem is there are no bacteria breaking down the plastic. Eventually some may evolve to do so, but science may need to step in and speed the process along.

500 years. It would depend on the composition of the plastic bag and itsdisposal environment. Plastic bags can take hundreds of years todecompose. Some supermarkets implemente…d environmentally friendly plastic bagsthat could decompose/compost in a year or less under exposure toair and sunlight. However when the bags were dumped in a landfill,they were covered with other trash eliminating exposure to air andsunlight, inhibiting decomposition, resulting in the plastic bagsstaying around much longer.

There are many items that end up in landfills, but take years to decay. Oftentimes, these items could be recycled instead of just thrown away. Take, for instance, a plasti…c bag. It takes around 15 years to decay, but could be recycled instead, which would save resources.

An average time for a plastic bottle to biodegrade fully is approximately 4-5 mins. However, there are many different kinds of plastic in the world, most commonly the hard and… reusable ones, which take a longer time, and the soft and non-reusable ones, which take a shorter time. Time also varies with the size of the bottle.

no it is not biodegradable ------------- There are now a large range of bags which are biodegradable. These are still not used in great numbers across the commercial world. Ca…rrier bags in the main are being faded out as they are an issue. If you search the net you'll find some excellent suppliers of biodegradable products.